Biomimetic Inspired Fibers, Materials, and Properties

The complex biological processing and spinning operations used by the silkworm and spider to create silk fibers lead to a morphology that yields exceptionally high combinations of strength, stiffness, and extensibility. In this proposed STTR effort,Foster-Miller will join with Professor David Kaplan and the Biotechnology Center at Tufts University in an effort to produce films from silk that possess unique and tailorable properties for emerging Air Force applications. Professor Kaplan has aworld-class reputation in this area and is an acknowledged expert in the biology and characterization of silk. He will provide the team with technical expertise, laboratory characterization and material for this effort. Foster-Miller has extensiveexperience in lyotropic liquid crystalline polymer processing, the synthetic analog to the biological liquid crystal processing characteristic of natural silks. We will combine this expertise with our knowledge of polymer/solvent interactions to mimic thebiomacromolecular assembly of spider silk. In this effort, films will be formed and oriented using a variety of processing techniques to demonstrate proof of concept. The methods developed and lessons learned on this effort can then be adapted andapplied to the processing of high performance fibers in a subsequent Phase II effort. (P-01524) This program pursues broad materials technology development toward general implementation rather than an application-specific development. It is initiallyenvisioned that bulletproof vests and parachute cords present military applications with good near- term pull. Ultimately, the material is likely well suited for highly optimized large space structures such as solar sails or space telescopes, applicationswhere Foster-Miller is currently working on large deployable structures for the Air Force and NASA. In the commercial marketplace, preliminary target applications certainly include bulletproof vests as well as high strength cords and straps, prostheticdevices, and highly abrasion resistant textiles.